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> > Some lessons from history
> > > > Next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water > > temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to > be... > > > > > > Here are some facts about the 1500s: > > > > > > Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath > in > > May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to > > smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. > > ========================================================== > > > > > > Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the > > house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons > and > > men, then the women and finally the children last of all the babies. By > > then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it--hence > the > > saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water." > > ========================================================== > > > > Houses had thatched roofs--thick straw, piled high, with no wood > > underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the > dogs, > > cats and other small animals (mice rats, and bugs) lived in the roof. When > > it > > rained it became slippery, and sometimes the animals would slip and fall > off > > the roof--hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs." > > ========================================================== > > > > > > There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This > > posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could > > really mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a > sheet > > hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came > into > > existence. > > ========================================================== > > > > > > The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, > > hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get > > slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh on the floor to > help > > keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more; thresh > > until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A > piece > > of wood was placed in the entranceway --hence, a "thresh hold." > > ========================================================== > > > > > > People cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over > > the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They > ate > > mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for > > dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start > > over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there > for > > quite a while<hence the rhyme, "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, > peas > > porridge in the pot nine days old." > > ========================================================== > > > > > > Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite > special. > > When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It > was > > a > > sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off > a > > little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat." > > ========================================================== > > > > > > Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid > > content caused some of the lead to leak onto the food, causing lead > > poisoning > > and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 > years > > or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. > > ========================================================== > > > > > > Most people did not have pewter plates, but had trenchers, a piece > of > > wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl. Often trenchers were made > from > > stale pays and bread, which was so old and hard that they could use them > for > > quite some time. Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worm and > > mold > > got into the wood and old bread. After eating off wormy, moldy trenchers, > > one > > would get "trench mouth." > > ========================================================== > > > > Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom > of > > the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper > > crust." > > ========================================================== > > > > > > Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would > > sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the > > road > > would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out > on > > the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around > > and > > eat and drink and wait to see if they would wake up--hence, the custom of > > holding a "wake." > > ========================================================== > > > > > > England is old and small and they started out running out of places > to > > bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a > > "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When re-opening these coffins, 1 out of > 25 > > coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized > > they > > had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on > > the > > wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground > > and > > tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night > > (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be > > "saved > > by the > > bell" or was considered a "dead ringer". > > > > Whoever said that History was boring? > > |
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